Electric switch



No. 752,531. PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

W. K. DODGE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-811151111.

IN VENTOH A TTOHNE Y8 No. 752,531. PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904. W. K. DODGE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 00'r. 2s. 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS v PETERS co, worn-m Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN K. DODGE, OF MANHATTAN, KANSAS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,531, dated February 16, 1904.

Application filed October 28, 1903. Serial No. 178,235. (No inodel.)

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVARREN K. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Manhattan, in the county of Riley and State of Kansas, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of an electric switch so constructed and arranged that two or more lights or sets of lights or any combination of the same may be thrown into circuit and the circuits, which are on are plainly indicated from the exterior of the case. I I

It consists in the novel construction and ar rangement of the switch and in the combina tion with the same of an indicator which plainly shows what circuits are turned on even in the dark, as will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a plan view of the exterior of the switch and case. Fig. Qis a similar view, with the mask-plate removed and the switchstem in section. Fig. 3 is an interior plan View with the casing removed. Fig. A isa vertical central section taken on the line 4 4: of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 shows a diagram of the circuits.

In the drawings, A represents the base of the switch, which is a circular disk of some non-conducting material, such as porcelain, hard rubber, or wood.

B is the outer casing, which is a circular cup that extends over the top and down along the sides of the switch and fits closely to the edges of the base-plate of porcelain. This casing incloses the working parts of the switch proper.

The numeral 1 indicates a plate with which there connects a main-line wire M, and 4 and 4 are the plates with which connect the branch lines l 2 M to either or both of which the current from main line M may be directed.

The plate 1 has a spring-arm 1, which rests normally against a lug 2 on a plate 2. This spring-arm 1 is bent and extends through a slot in the side of the case and has a pushbutton 1 on it, by which it may be forced inwardly out of contact with the lug 2". he

plate 2 has an arm 2, which is bent upwardly and over to the center of the base-plate and is forked at the end and straddles a rotary stem 5. This stem has rigidly attached to it a circular plate 3, having two arms 3 and 3 projecting radially therefrom. The plate 2 and arm 2 are always in contact with the circular plate 3 and arms 8 and 3", no matter in what position this plate 3 and its arm may be turned by the stem 5.

The stem 5 is seated to turn in a bearing in the base-plate and also in the case and is provided with a button or thumb-piece 5*, by which it is turned. The arms 3 and 3 are designed to make contact with either or both of two springs s 8", connected, respectively, to plates 4c and 4.

The current which comes in from main line M to 1 passes through spring-arm 1 to plate 2, through arm 2 to plate 3 and arms 3 and 3 thence to either of the springs s or s or to both of them, and to either of the branch lines M M or to both of them, as the case may be. If the two arms 3 and 3 are resting on the two springs s s, the current goes to both lines M M If but one of these arms is on one of the springs, the current goes only to that branch line.

To determine the position of the switch within the case, the upper surface of the case is cut through with perforated or stenciled figures at 00, corresponding to the spring-contacts s s of the branch lines M M and there is attached to the stem 5 a mask-plate 7, having two cut-away portions 7 7, corresponding in position to the two rotary arms 3 and 3. When these cut-away portions are directly over the stenciled figures in the case, the arms 3 and 3 are resting upon the contact-springs s and s", as the mask-plate and arms 3" 3 move together. To make these stencil-figures more distinct, especially in dark places or at night, a small electric lamp L is arranged in the case and has one of its torminals connected to a plate 6 and the other one to a plate 6. The plate 6 has an upturned lug 6 which is arranged to be struck by the spring 1 when pressed in, and the other plate, 6, is connected to the branch line M. Now

when the spring-arm 1 is forced in by its puslrbutton connection is broken between 1 and plate 2, cutting out branch lines 11 M with their light, (shown in Fig. 5,) and connection is made between 1 and 6 and thence through the electric lamp L, plate 6, and branch line M to the return-wire The result is that the lamp L is illumined and the light shining through the stencil-letters in the case shows clearly what connections the switch is adjusted for.

The indicator-light L, it will be seen, is for the purpose of being able to set the switch by pressing in the push-button, which illumines the indicator-light and throws ofi all other lights.

As shown, I have provided in my switch for two branch lines M M and two arms 3 and 3" and two indicator-figures m; but it is obvious that any number may be employed and,

any combination or grouping of branch lines may be controlled.

In making use of my switch I may employ it either with or without the indicator-light.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A circuit-controlling switch, comprising a base-plate, an inclosing case, a rotary stem bearing a rigidly-attached plate with a plurality of radial contact-arms, an external thumb-piece mounted on the rotary stem, a main-line connection, an arm electrically connected thereto and bent up and over the stemplate and rubbing thereon, and a plurality of branch-line contacts arranged to be pressed upon by the radial arms of the rotary stem, as shown and described.

2. A circuit-controlling switch, comprising a baseplate, an inclosing case, a rotary stem bearing radial contact-arms, a plurality of contacts with branch-line connections, a mainline connection, a rubbing-arm in permanent connection with the radial arms, an electric lamp and a movable arm extending through the wall of the case and arranged to alternately break the branch-line circuits and throw in the indicator-lamp substantially as shown and described.

3. An electric switch, comprising a rotary movable part having a plurality of circuit contacts, an inclosing case having stenciled markings through the walls of the same, an electric lamp within the case, a movable arm for throwing the same into circuit and a maskplate attached to the rotary movable part of the switch and having cut-away portions to expose the stencil-markings in the case whenever the corresponding contacts within the case are in circuit substantially as described.

t. An electric switch, comprising a baseplate, an inclosing case with a hole in the side and stenciled markings in the top, a rotary stem mounted in a bearing in the base-plate and extending through the top of the case and provided with a thumb-piece, a rotary plate with radial arms rigidly attached to the stem within the case, corresponding branchline connections, a main-line connection, an arm connected to the main line and also by a rubbing contact to the radial arms, an electric indicator-lamp in the case, and a spring-arm extending through the side of the case and adapted to break the branch lines and throw in the indicator-lamp, and a mask-plate with cut-out parts attached rigidly to the rotary stem and arranged to expose the stenciled markings in the case which correspond to the contacts within substantially as described.

WARREN K. DODGE.

Witnesses:

A. M. STORY, G. B. DAUGHTERS. 

